This is a story I am currently working on. For now...here is a preview piece (that is also the beginning). Enjoy!

DARTHO

The night was quite chilly. Tabitha did not notice, even though she was in beggar's rags. She was too frightened to take notice of the cold. She glanced behind her in fear. The stories she heard were true.
Suddenly, Tabitha bumped into a man in a black overcoat with a black top hat and wearing dark grey trousers.
She did not observe his clothing at the time, as she backed away, or tried to. The man had a hold of her shoulders.
"I say, steady on there, Miss!" stated the gentleman, but Tabitha hardly heard him.
She kicked the man in the shins, making him let go of her. Tabitha heard shouting behind her but she kept running. Ducking into a side-alley, Tabitha stopped as she reached a dead end. A shadow loomed over the nine-year-old girl. Turning around, gasping in short but heavy breaths, Tabitha fainted from fright, believing her persuer had caught up with her at last.

Suddenly, a noise startled Tabitha; it was the sound of footsteps coming from behind her.
Turning around, Tabitha saw it was the boy whom had helped her out before, the short one with red hair.Ben was looking at Tabitha; he had hoped she would wake up. He had seen her lying on the ground outside the sewer tunnel and had picked her up because he figured she needed help. Of course, he was smaller then the girl so had only managed as far as the alleyway to Downs Street before laying her on the ground to have a break.Ben and Tabitha did nothing; they just stared at each other for a moment.
There was the sound of a brawl happening in a nearby pub down the street, the noise came from the back-alley that led into Downtown London.
The two orphans did not notice it, since it was a frequent occurrence upon the streets. As long as the orphans were not the ones involved, it was nothing to do with them, as was the case right now.
The noise soon died down and Tabitha opened her mouth to speak in this brief quiet moment.
"Thank you," she heard herself saying.

After the dream she had, Tabitha had found her own voice sounded weird to her.Ben did not do anything for a moment but then his small shoulders shrugged and he smiled at Tabitha.
Tabitha managed a smile herself. Despite being rescued, Tabitha was not accustomed to it, having lived off the streets and fending for herself.
"Just because I'm a girl, don't expect me to ask for your help," she stated to the small orphan boy.
Tabitha noticed Ben seemed confused, maybe bewildered by her harsh tone. She had to remind herself that this boy had done no wrong to her, the opposite in fact and had not even asked for anything in return.
And he looked rather scrawny, shorter then a normal boy of his age.
'Obviously the runt of the litter,' thought Tabitha to herself, but not in a mean way.

Ben felt slightly hurt by what the girl said to him. He knew the way of the streets but did not know that this girl felt so strongly about it.
He knew the streets better, having possibly one or more years to his credit then the girl did, though he could not really tell the girl's age, she seemed younger then himself.

Holding his scruffy hat, Ben opened his mouth and inhaled the foggy air as if to speak, but instead he just held it in and then gently breathed out without a sound, placing his cap upon his head.
Dust and soot appeared to crumble from this simple action, coming from Ben's cap and fell to the already dusty and dirty ground, indistinguishable to the naked eye.Ben turned around and started to walk down the dark cobble stoned street. If the girl did not want his help, which he did not blame her for, then so be it.
Many people looked down at him, obviously because he was short for his age, but in a rather disgusted manner. Ben had lived with that for two years, being shorter then the other orphan boys, being picked on and bullied because he was frail and weak, too small to do anything about it.

And this girl, whom he saved twice, he understood how she felt, in a way.
'Why would anyone wanna be saved by a boy like me?' he often asked himself, especially on the first occasion when he had met up with Tabitha.Ben was halfway down the road when he heard a voice cry out to him.

"Wait!" shouted out Tabitha.
Tabitha had seen the look on the boy's face before he had turned and started walking away. She felt sad and horrible for the way she had spoken to him earlier.
Tabitha saw the boy pause and stop walking after she called out, his head turning sideways as if to look back at her. But he never fully turned around; maybe he was probably waiting to hear what she had to say.

Chapter 8: With The Enemy....

"I'm sorry if I sounded mean," said Tabitha.
She did not know if he had heard her or not, for the boy had not moved since Tabitha had cried out earlier.
A cold wind rushed past Tabitha, making her realise how cold she was. Clinging to her arms and feeling the skin of her left shoulder where the shadow had torn away the sleeve of her long singlet, Tabitha waited nervously while still looking at the boy.

Ben stood absolutely still; he had noticed a shadowy form out of the corner of his eye move stealthily across the wall. Wether this shadow was something normal from the alleyway or the thing that had taken other orphans, he was not quite sure.
The girl had said something but Ben did not really pay attention to her. He knew she was offering some form of apology, but Ben did not need pity from anyone. He was used to people putting him down and was also used to the same or other people saying they were sorry.
Wether she meant it or not, but Ben could tell the girl meant it, was not really any of his concern right now. They were not safe, especially in the alleyway of Downtown London.
Tabitha could not wait any longer, she felt the boy could at least look at her when she was trying to say sorry.
Sighing, Tabitha stepped forward with resolve, not caring if the boy faced her or not any longer. She passed him and was starting her descent down the alleyway of Downtown London until something stopped her. She felt the boy’s hand clasp her own. Glancing back as best she could with her sore shoulder, Tabitha looked into the eyes of Ben.

“Please, Don’t leave,” said Ben as he held the hand of the girl he had saved moments ago.
Tabitha felt touched slightly, this boy was reaching out to her, but she also felt remorseful about what she said next.
“Why should I?” she asked with contempt.
“Because…we both need a friend in this place,” replied back Ben to Tabitha.
It had occurred to Tabitha how stupid it sounded but also how right the boy was. Despite the way of the streets, no orphan went off alone into the great unknown without any support, period.
With a sense of silent understanding passing between the two orphans, Tabitha stopped resisting and her arm fell limp as she continued to hold onto Ben’s hand and her other held the crescent moon she wore around her neck.
Without saying another word, the two children walked together into the darkened area that led to Downtown London.

To anyone on the streets of London it would probably look odd to see two kids wandering in the Main Street. One with the clothes of a common beggar, the other wearing a flimsy long singlet that was torn at the shoulder and had blood stains upon it.

The Urban Rivals team is made by lovers of all kind of Collectibles Cards Games and Trading Cards Games like: Magic the Gathering, Dominion, Vampire, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, Wakfu TCG, Assassin Creed Recollection, Shadow Era, Kard Kombat and Might & Magic Duel of Champions.